Having spent three of the past five weeks in Italy, I realize the need to take the search for all things prog back home to the USA. For a shake-up of sorts, I decided to look for something new and exciting; a band that has to survive the next ten years in order to celebrate their ten year anniversary.
Being a strong believer in fate, receiving a first hand request, and seeing as the planets have aligned themselves just so, this is the perfect moment to introduce you my loyal followers to The Alea Dilemma. In their own words, The Alea Dilemma is "...an eclectic progressive rock band..." With their debut album, "Within the Clamor of Voices," set for release October 30th--three days hence--let us take the Concert Closet to Missouri and ingest all The Alea Dilemma is serving up...
Jumping right in with a hearty appetite, I start with a full-bodied song called "I.D." The music opens with an energy burst that hits you square in the cranium. The guitar just baps you right off, followed by a drum beat thumping strong and steady. The music gives the illusion of letting up-- but don't be fooled; I.D. comes at you without compromise start to finish. I sense top notes of Dream Theater and perhaps an aromatic scent of Yes in the air...The Alea Dilemma has set the bar high with their first installment...
Serving number two is an attention-grabber; a sort of "prog-parallel" tune called "Forsaken Pawns." The opening bears resemblance to an early Uriah Heep gig with a rustic Boz Scaggs laying down the vocal tracks...hitting hard in unsuspecting places. The drums set up camp at the top of your spinal column sending reverb across your body in waves...meanwhile hefty doses of guitar are being pumped through your bloodstream...Alea Dilemma has laid roots in a dark section of the prog garden--but light does manage to cut through the haze.
Liner Notes...Hailing from Kansas City MO, The Alea Dilemma came to be in 2013...but the prog seeds that blossomed first took root in Denver CO back in 2007. Guitarist/vocalist Danny Brymer formed a band with bass player Ryan Sloan that was short-lived due to life hurling her usual challenges and twists at them...but fate always finds a way. Danny and Ryan were reunited in KC and decided to give the prog band thing another shot, adding Todd Crookston on drums to complete the ensemble.
Playing prog with infusions of jazz, metal, and a few symphonic layers, The Alea Dilemma has reached beyond traditional boundaries and forged a sound ripe with top notes of Yes, The Strawbs, Led Zeppelin, and Steely Dan. I even detect an infusion of Fairpoint Convention blended with aromatics of Chick Corea to create what is truly a distinctive sound. Danny, Ryan, and Todd have perused many sections of the prog garden and used what they learned to build a style that stands just outside the borderline of any hard definition. It is an invigorating jolt to the senses...
Another cut served up for digesting is a jazz-infused gem called "The Machine." Clean and crisp, this song floats through your ears like a kayak cutting across a still lake. The song opens as if spoon feeding evidence in a criminal investigation...building to a tense moment of full disclosure. Once the drums grab the guitars and invade the inner lining of your skull, the song comes at you from all sides...a reflection of the diversity Weather Report has been known to hurl around the room, with side notes of Joe Satriani...
The Alea Dilemma is a multifarious band...they make their home in the prog garden but were raised on many influences. The complexity of their sound increases your desire to hear more. They have haunting vocals, intense mood swings, and a foot locker full of imagination...
Listen to the cut posted below; it is but a sampling of what The Alea Dilemma will thrust upon the prog world in 72 hours...an exciting piece called "Down the Rabbit Hole." A funky jazz fused intro opens a flood gate of sound that pours through your ears and fills your cranium with pictures and ideas reminiscent of the Whisky A Go Go in its heyday. Let the sounds and images wash over you like high tide just before the storm. Learn more about The Alea Dilemma and check out a purchase of their debut release at http://www.thealeadilemma.com/. You can also follow the band on Twitter at
@TheAleaDilemma. To get below the surface and keep up with the band's show schedule, check their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheAleaDilemma. Support The Alea Dilemma and purchase your copy of "Within the Clamor of Voices" Friday...
OK fellow progheads, ten down and two to go as 2015 continues its relentless march toward the end of the calendar. The Alea Dilemma is one more piece of proof positive that the prog garden has fertile soil and continues to produce brilliant music. That prog is a melting pot of sorts should surprise no one; blending the intricate musings of jazz with layers of symphonic sound and hard hitting rock 'n' roll is bound to leave a mark on your mind--but isn't that what prog is supposed to do? With The Alea Dilemma unearthed and exposed to your auditory senses, time to continue the search for all things prog and take the Concert Closet on another exploration...until next week...
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